1906 Surry Hills state by-election

{{short description|Election result for Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=April 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1906 Surry Hills state by-election

| type = parliamentary

| country = Australia

| seats_for_election = Electoral district of Surry Hills in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1904 New South Wales state election

| previous_year = 1904

| next_election = 1907 New South Wales state election

| next_year = 1907

| election_date = 21 July 1906

| candidate1 = Albert Bruntnell

| image1 =

| party1 = Liberal Reform Party (Australia)

| popular_vote1 = 1,109

| percentage1 = 30.5%

| swing1 = {{decrease}} 3.8%

| candidate2 = Dick Meagher

| image2 = x160px

| party2 = Independent (politician)

| popular_vote2 = 961

| percentage2 = 26.4%

| swing2 = {{color|grey|New}}

| candidate4 = Henry Lawton

| image4 =

| party4 = Labour

| popular_vote4 = 888

| percentage4 = 24.4%

| swing4 = {{color|grey|New}}

| candidate5 = John Norton

| image5 = x160px

| party5 = Independent (politician)

| popular_vote5 = 697

| percentage5 = 18.7%

| swing5 = {{decrease}} 27.1%

| map_image =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| title = MLA

| before_election = John Norton (journalist)

| before_party = Independent (politician)

| after_election = Albert Bruntnell

| after_party = Liberal Reform Party (Australia)

| turnout = 36.2% ({{decrease}} 20.8%)

}}

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Surry Hills on 21 July 1906 because of the resignation of John Norton ({{Australian politics/name|Independent}}). Norton blamed William Holman for an article in The Worker commenting on Norton's unnatural silence over the land scandals involving Paddy Crick and William Willis.{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |first=Michael |last=Cannon |title=Norton, John (1858-1916) |id2=norton-john-7863 |access-date=2021-04-04}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145730967 |title=The silence of John Norton |newspaper=The Worker |date=11 January 1906 |access-date=4 April 2021 |page=4 |via=Trove}}
{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145728432 |title=Stand up, John Norton |newspaper=The Worker |date=22 February 1906 |access-date=4 April 2021 |page=4 |via=Trove}}
{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145896185 |title=John Norton goes a-scabbing |newspaper=The Worker |date=17 March 1910 |access-date=4 April 2021 |page=12 |via=Trove}} Norton made a personal attack on Holman in parliament, challenging him to resign and both would contest Holman's seat of Cootamundra.